JP2009516490A - Facility energy management system - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for managing energy supplied to a facility includes monitoring the marginal cost of electricity from an electricity supplier and determining the facility's non-heating electrical load and the facility's heating load. The method also obtains fuel for supply of energy to satisfy the heating load when the marginal cost of electricity is greater than the marginal cost of fuel or when the non-heating electrical load is greater than a peak billing demand threshold. Including doing. When the electricity marginal cost is less than the fuel marginal cost and the non-heating electrical load is less than the peak billing demand threshold, electricity is required to provide energy to meet at least a portion of the current heating load. , Up to the peak billing demand threshold, and the fuel is obtained to supply energy to meet the current heating load not met by the energy of the electricity.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates generally to managing energy usage within a facility.

  Recreational facilities such as energy for heating, domestic hot water and swimming pools are some of the largest energy applications in most facilities. Heating can be done with either electricity and / or many heating fuels. The most common heating fuels are petroleum based fuels such as heating oil, natural gas or propane. Most facilities use petroleum-based fuel for all of their heating. In facilities with colder climates where heating is required throughout the day and in multiple seasons throughout the year, fuel costs can be a significant part of energy costs. Petroleum-based fuels for heating are generally charged on the basis of commodity prices and delivery costs and do not change dramatically based on consumption during the billing period.

  The total electrical load of the facility consists of electricity used by equipment and fixtures in the facility, including the facility's electrical heating load. The electrical load typically fluctuates throughout the day with the lowest demand at night and the highest demand late in the afternoon and dusk. Electricity usage fees are generally based on the amount of energy used during the billing period plus a penalty for the maximum usage rate (demand kW power bill charged). This scheme penalizes the user for high usage rates. Even if the power demand throughout the day is a small fraction of the peak power demand, the facility is charged a demand power fee based on peak usage.

  The air conditioning system draws air from outside and blows it out into the facility to mix and recirculate room air with fresh air from outside. The air conditioning system further includes a gas heater for heating the outside air before distribution to the facility, and an air conditioning unit for cooling the outside air before distribution to the facility. Many air conditioning systems in facilities such as large box stores are combinations of air conditioning systems and furnaces that recirculate room air and mix it with fresh outside air. They also heat or cool the air as needed.

  There is a need to improve the management of energy use at the facility.

  The recent conversion of the ratio between oil and fuel costs and electricity has created an opportunity to reduce energy costs by choosing the most efficient means of providing the heat needed for the facility. Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention provides systems, storage devices, and methods that utilize different fuel and electricity pricing configurations to provide energy to a facility in a cost-effective manner.

Claim 1
According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for managing energy supplied to facilities requiring electricity and heat is provided. According to another aspect of the invention, a computer readable storage recording this method is provided. The method includes monitoring the marginal cost of electricity from the electricity supplier, determining the facility non-heating electrical load and the facility heating load. The method also provides fuel to provide energy to satisfy the heating load when the electrical marginal cost is greater than the fuel marginal cost, or when the non-heating electrical load is greater than a billable peak demand threshold. Including obtaining. When the electrical marginal cost is less than the fuel marginal cost and the non-heating electrical load is less than the peak billing demand threshold, up to the peak billing demand threshold to provide energy to satisfy at least a portion of the heating load, Obtaining electricity from the electricity supplier and obtaining the fuel to provide energy to satisfy a heating load not satisfied by the electricity energy. By using power to satisfy at least a portion of the heating load when the non-heating electrical load is less than the peak billing demand threshold, the facility's power consumption variation is smooth and fuel consumption over a predetermined period Decrease. In other words, the method serves to fill the valleys of the facility's fluctuating non-heating electrical load with the power used to satisfy at least a portion of the heating load.

Claim 7
The method may further include monitoring an energy price of the power pool, and when the energy price of the power pool exceeds the total cost of electricity and fuel, obtain electricity from the electricity supplier, The obtained electricity can be sold to the power pool.

  In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a system is provided that includes a processor programmed to perform the underlying method and sensors for determining the current heating load and current electrical load of the facility. The sensor is supplied with or communicates with the electricity supplier's electricity cost and the fuel cost of the fuel source. The system can include both electric and fuel boilers that are in communication with the processor and are operable to generate heat from the resulting electricity and fuel, respectively. The system may also include a control valve that communicates with the processor and controls the delivery of heat from both boilers to the facility. The system implements a cost reduction method that provides heat from electricity and / or fuel. The system takes advantage of the electricity rate structure to take advantage of the low cost electricity available during off-peak periods. The system reduces costs by replacing high-cost fuel with low-cost “off-peak” electricity.

  The peak billing demand threshold can be assigned a value equal to the peak billing demand threshold history from the previous billing period. This is particularly beneficial if the electricity supplier charges a demand fee for each current billing period based on one or more peak billing demands ahead. Should the current non-heating electrical load exceed the peak billing demand threshold, a new peak billing demand threshold equal to the current non-heating electrical load is set.

  Alternatively, to reduce the number of cases where the electricity supplier charges the facility with a demand fee by exceeding the demand fee threshold, the peak billing demand threshold is set equal to the electricity supplier's demand fee threshold. Can be assigned.

  According to another aspect of the invention, a method for managing energy supplied to a facility air conditioning system is provided. According to another aspect of the invention, a computer readable storage device having the method recorded thereon is provided. The air conditioning system includes a fuel-driven heating unit for supplying outside air or heated outside air to the facility, an air conditioning unit driven by an electric circuit to supply cooled outside air to the facility, and the facility And an electric heating coil driven by the electric circuit to supply heated outside air. The method includes monitoring a marginal cost of electricity from an electrical supplier, determining a non-heating electrical load for the facility and a heating load for the facility, when the marginal cost for electricity is greater than a marginal cost for fuel, or for the non-heating Using the heating unit to supply heated outside air to the facility when the electrical load is greater than a peak billing demand threshold; and the electrical marginal cost is less than the fuel marginal cost and the non-heating electrical load is the Using the electric heating coil to supply heated outdoor air to the facility to satisfy at least a portion of a heating load for heating the facility when less than a peak billing demand threshold.

  In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, an air blending system for a facility is provided, the air blending system comprising a fuel-driven heating unit for drawing outside air and releasing the heated outside air into the facility; An air conditioning unit that is driven by an electric circuit with electricity provided by an electric supplier, draws in outside air, and discharges the cooled outside air into the facility; and the heated outside air driven by the electric circuit in the facility An electrical heating coil for discharge into the facility; electrical and thermal load sensors for determining non-heating and heating loads for the facility; electrical costs for the sensors and the electrical supplier; and fuel costs for the fuel source And a processor that communicates with the computer. The processor monitors the marginal cost of electricity from the electricity supplier, measures the non-heating electrical load of the facility and the heating load of the facility, and when the marginal cost of electricity is greater than the marginal cost of fuel or the current non-heating When the electrical load is greater than a peak billing demand threshold, the heating unit is used to supply heated outdoor air to the facility, the electrical marginal cost is less than the fuel marginal cost and the current non-heating electrical load is When less than the peak billing demand threshold, programmed to use the electric heating coil to supply heated outdoor air to the facility to satisfy at least a portion of a heating load for heating the facility. ing.

  The present invention will be further understood from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

System Components Referring to FIG. 1, according to one embodiment of the present invention, an energy management system 10 for managing electricity and fuel used by a facility 11 is provided.

  The facility 11 is a building that requires heat and electricity. Facility 11 uses electricity to provide power to the electrical equipment and equipment found in the building. Collectively, these fixtures and equipment impose an electrical load 12 (“non-heating electrical load” 12) on the facility 11. The facility 11 also uses electricity and fuel to power each of the electricity and fuel heating combinations 14,16. The electric and fuel heating combination 14, 16 heats one or more heatable fluids 18 for use in the facility 11. Such fluids include water, air, and other heatable fluids known in the art for storing and transferring heat, such as refrigerants. Heating the collectable heatable fluid imposes a thermal load 20 on the facility 11.

  The electric heating combination 14 includes an electric heating element 22 and an electric heat storage device 24. The heating element 22 may be one or more electric furnaces that heat air and / or one or more electric boilers that heat water. Alternatively or in addition to the electric furnace, the electric boiler can be coupled to a heat exchanger to heat the air. The electrical heat storage device 24 may be a container for storing heated water, such as a boiler water tank or swimming pool. Similarly, the fuel heating assembly 16 comprises a fuel heating element 26 and a fuel heat storage device 28, where the fuel heating element 26 is one or more fuel furnaces and / or fuel boilers, and the fuel heat storage device 28 is heated. It can be a container for storing water. One or more components of the electric and fuel heating combination 14, 16 may pre-exist in the facility 11, in which case the energy management system 10 may manage the electricity and fuel used by the facility 11. Such components can be used for this purpose.

  The facility 11 can also include an air conditioning system that includes an electric air conditioning unit and a gas powered heating unit coupled to an air line for providing heated and cooled air to the facility 11. Can be included. If the facility comprises such an air conditioning system, the energy management system 10 may further include an electric heating coil 115 attached to the piping as described in more detail below. If the facility 11 does not have an air conditioning system, an air conditioning system 103 having a gas heating unit 107, an electric air conditioning unit 109, an electric heating coil 115, and respective pipes 113 for cooling and heating the facility 11 is provided. Optionally installed (shown in FIGS. 6 and 7). The energy management system 10 controls the use of electricity and gas used by the air conditioning system 103, as will be described in detail below.

  Facility 11 is electrically coupled to a conventional power transmission system (not shown). Through the transmission system, the facility purchases electricity from the electricity supplier A. The electricity supplier may be an electric utility, an independent power supplier (IPP) or a power pool trader. The purchased electricity is used to fill the non-heating electrical load 12 and to supply power to the electrical heating combination 14 (generally “facility total power demand”).

  The facility 11 has a fuel storage tank 29 for storing fuel used in the fuel heating combination 16 and the optional heating unit 107. The fuel may be natural gas, butane, propane, heating oil or any other heating fuel as is known in the art. To replenish the tank 14 from time to time, fuel is purchased from a fuel supplier (not shown) that dispatches a tanker (not shown). Alternatively, the facility 11 can be coupled to a fuel line (not shown) and the fuel supplier can supply fuel directly to the facility 11 via the fuel line.

  Fuel is typically purchased from a fuel supplier at a fixed rate. However, electricity is typically purchased from electricity supplier A at a rate that can vary depending on many factors. For example, when purchasing electricity from utilities such as British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (“BC Hydro”), these factors include power demand (ie, electrical load), supply Includes voltage and facility geographic area. BC Hydro customers with power demands above a certain number of kilowatts (kW) are billed on a tariff that includes basic charges, charges for power consumption and demand charges. The basic fee is a fixed price every billing period. The power bill charges a charge per kilowatt hour (kWh) consumed during the billing period, and when the consumed power exceeds a certain kWh threshold ("power bill threshold"), This price per kWh may vary. If the electrical load exceeds a certain kW threshold within the billing period (“Demand Power Charge Threshold”), the demand power charge will charge a charge per kW, and this demand power charge will vary for each kW charge. Each of the plurality of demand power charge thresholds can be included. Other utilities may charge demand power charges in different ways, for example, for some utilities, demand power charges are charged at each billing period (eg per month) and multiple billing periods The percentage of peak power requested during (for example, over the previous calendar year).

  In addition to utilities, electricity can be purchased from other electricity suppliers A such as IPP and power pool traders. Electricity can generally be purchased from IPP at a fixed rate. In contrast, electricity purchased from the power pool is typically priced hourly and the purchaser is charged at a valid rate per hour. The price of the power pool may be very volatile and varies from time to time, the demand is low and the price is generally cheaper at night, when excess energy can be used. Some utilities employ a similar billing structure and charge customers based on time of use where billing rates vary throughout the day, and these utilities employ additional demand electricity charges, Maybe not.

  In practice, if the facility's total electricity demand exceeds the demand electricity rate threshold at any point in the billing period, or if the customer's peak demand in one month is significantly higher than in other months, the electricity demand rate will be It accounts for a significant portion of electricity costs. The electric cost can be reduced by reducing the relative magnitude of the demand power charge with respect to the power charge. This can be achieved, for example, by reducing peak billing demand thresholds (peak shaving) and / or power consumption during low demand periods (valley embedding).

  Referring now to FIG. 2, the system 10 includes a system processor 30 that is programmed to manage the use of electricity and fuel by the facility 11 to reduce the total energy cost for the facility 11. The system processor 30 may be a direct digital controller (DDC), a proportional-integral-derivative controller (PID), a programmable logic controller (PLC), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a multipurpose computer or any program as known in the prior art. It can be a possible controller.

  The processor 30 has a random access memory device (not shown) that stores data relating to electricity charges and fuel prices. Input / output devices (not shown) such as an electronic display and keyboard are connected to the processor 30 and can be used to manually input new price data for electricity and fuel into the processor 30. The processor 30 automatically receives and stores new electricity and price data, and is coupled to an external communication network 31, eg, a modem or network card (not shown) for supplying electricity and fuel. Can be connected to the Internet to automatically update electricity and fuel price data from The electricity price data includes current electricity market prices set in kilowatt hours (kWh) that can be purchased from the system 10. Further, depending on the jurisdiction, there may be an opportunity to sell and buy electricity through electricity purchase contracts from power pools or IPPs. The electricity price data includes, but is not limited to, information on the current power pool price of the power pool such as an operating environment and a contract in which the current pool price is written. The fuel price data includes the current fuel market price that can be purchased by the system 10. The market price of the fuel will depend on the fuel being used. Fuels such as natural gas, propane and butane are generally priced in gigajoules (gJ).

  The system 10 includes a plurality of sensors in communication with the processor 30, which are presently required by the facility 11 as well as the operating conditions of the electrical and fuel heating combinations 14, 16 and related elements of the air conditioning system 103. Data relating to the energy load is provided to the processor 30. The system 10 also includes a plurality of actuators in communication with the processor 30 that distribute the heated fluid to the facility 11 and the operation of the air conditioning system 103 as well as the electrical and fuel combinations 14, 16. Used to control the operation. The sensors and actuators include:

Electric heating system sensor 33
These sensors 33 are attached to the electric heating combination 14 in the same manner as a meter for measuring electric power consumed by the electric heating combination 14, the air conditioner 109, and the electric heating coil 115. Temperature for monitoring the temperature of the heatable fluid at the output of the electrical heating element 22 (to confirm the operation of 22) and within the heat storage device 24 (for measuring the amount of energy available for heating). Includes sensors.

Fuel heating system sensor 34
These sensors 34 are attached to the fuel heating assembly 16 and are at the outlet of the fuel heating element 26 (to confirm that the heating element 26 is operable) and (the amount of energy available for heating). A temperature sensor for monitoring the temperature of the heatable fluid within the heat storage device 28, and a meter for measuring the fuel consumed by the fuel assembly 16 and the heating unit 107. Can do.

Current electrical load sensor 35
These sensors 35 collectively include the current total electrical load of the facility, i.e., the electrical power required for the heating combination 14, 16 of the electricity and fuel, the air conditioning unit 109 and the electrical heating coil 115, Measure the instantaneous net power required by all eleven electrical facilities. Such a sensor 35 may include a voltage and current transformer connected to a power meter capable of calculating power consumption and providing a signal to the processor 30. The current non-heating electrical load 12 can be determined by subtracting the total electrical load measured by sensor 35 from the electrical load of the electrical heating system measured by sensor 33.

Current heat load sensor 36
These sensors 36 collectively measure the temperature of the current heat load 20 of the facility 11. Such a sensor has a plurality of temperature sensors for measuring the temperature of a hot water for home use, a room required for indoor heating, a hot water pool, a hot tub, and the like, similar to an air temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the facility 11. Including.

Actuator 37 of electric heating combination 14
These actuators 37 control the operation of the electric heating combination 14, and the actuator 37 includes a switch that controls the current to the heating element 22, and the heated fluid to and from the heat storage device 24. And a plurality of valves for controlling the flow of electricity to the air conditioning unit 109 and the electric heating coil 115.

Fuel heating combination actuator 38
These actuators 38 include a valve that controls the operation of the fuel heating assembly 16 and controls the flow of fuel to the heating element 26 and the heating unit 107, and a spark igniter for combustion of the fuel. And a valve for controlling the flow of heated fluid to and from the heat storage device 28.

Main fluid control valve 39
A main fluid control valve 39 is provided for each heatable fluid to control the flow of heatable fluid from the electric and fuel heating combinations 14, 16 to the rest of the facility 11. As shown in FIG. 1, the main fluid control valve 39 includes a conduit that receives the unheated fluid 18 directly from the fluid source, a conduit that receives the heated fluid from the electric heating combination 14, It is fluidly connected to a conduit that supplies fluid 18 directly to thermal load 20 and a conduit that supplies fluid to thermal load 20 through fuel heating assembly 16.

Processor Programming and System Operation The processor 30 uses electricity and fuel in a manner that monitors electricity and fuel prices and current electricity and heat loads 12, 20 and reduces the total utility costs of the facility 11. Programmed to implement strategy.

  Referring to FIG. 3, the processor 30 is programmed with a “valley embedding” strategy that utilizes power during non-peak periods. This strategy operates under the constraint that the current non-thermoelectric load 12 of the facility 11 never exceeds a specified peak billed demand threshold 40. The peak billing demand threshold 40 is the maximum allowable net power required by all electrical equipment in the facility 11 as well as the electrical heating combination 14 expected during the current demand billing period, as measured by peak demand measurement. It is. Generally, this value is assigned the peak billing demand recorded and billed during the same month the previous year or several years ago. However, the value may be based on any historical period and can be updated dynamically to account for unexpected electricity consumption. The vertical axis 42 in FIG. 3 represents the electrical load in kW, and the horizontal axis 44 represents the time of day that starts at midnight and ends at midnight 24 hours later. The function 46 represents the typical unheated electrical load 12 of the facility 11 over the day (ie, the electrical load of all equipment and fixtures that do not include the electrical and fuel heating combination 14,16). The region 48 below the function 46 is the total electricity in kWh consumed in the facility 11 over a typical day excluding electricity consumed by the electricity and fuel heating combination 14, 16 and air conditioning unit 109 in kWh. Energy. The region 50 above the function 46 constrained by the peak billing demand threshold 40 line is the electrical energy in kWh available for valley embedding.

  If the facility 11 purchases electricity from an electricity supplier A that charges an additional demand charge caused when the current non-heating electrical load exceeds the current billing demand charge threshold, the processor 30 sets the peak billing demand threshold 40 to the It can be assigned to a value below the demand threshold. In such a case, region 50 represents the electrical energy in kWh that the facility can use without receiving demand charges.

  Referring to FIG. 4, the program of the processor 30 executes the filling of the valleys by continuously repeating the following processing steps.

  In an initial step, indicated by block 60, the processor 30 accesses the fuel limit cost and electrical limit cost information stored in the storage device or externally via the communication network 31 to provide the fuel limit cost. Compare the cost to the electrical limit cost. The fuel marginal cost can be calculated by taking the fuel price, converting it to dollars / gJ, and accounting for the efficiency of the fuel heating combination 16 and / or the heating unit 107. Similarly, the electrical marginal cost is obtained by taking the electricity price and converting it into dollars / gJ and accounting for the efficiency of the electric heating combination 14 and / or air conditioning unit 9 and / or the heating coil 115, Can be calculated.

  When the electrical marginal cost is greater than the fuel marginal cost, the processor 30 is programmed to proceed to step 63 where the electrical heating combination 14 and / or the electrical heating coil 115 is turned off and fuel heating is performed. The combination 16 and / or the heating unit 107 is set to generate sufficient heat energy to satisfy the heating load 20. The operation of electric and fuel heating elements 22, 26, such as electric and gas boilers and gas furnaces, electric heating coils 115, the air conditioning unit 109 and the heating unit 107 are well known in the prior art and thus Not detailed. Furthermore, the main fluid control valve 39 is set to send unheated heated fluid to the fuel heating assembly 16 for heating.

  When the electrical marginal cost is less than the fuel marginal cost, the processor 30 proceeds to block 62, where the peak billing demand threshold 40 is set to the current non-heating electrical load 12 as measured by the current electrical load sensor 33. To be compared. If the peak billing demand threshold 40 is less than the current non-heating electrical load 12, the processor 30 is programmed to proceed to block 63. In this step, the electric heating combination 14 and / or the electric heating element 115 are turned off and the fuel heating combination 16 and / or the heating unit 107 is set to generate sufficient thermal energy to satisfy the heating load 20. Has been. Furthermore, the main fluid control valve 39 is set to send unheated heated fluid to the fuel heating assembly 16 for heating.

  If the peak billing demand threshold 40 is greater than the current non-heating electrical load 12, the processor 30 is programmed to proceed to block 64, where the difference between the peak billing demand threshold 40 and the current non-heating electrical load 12 is The heating load 20 corresponding to the measurement by the current thermal load sensor 36 is compared. The processor 30 is programmed to proceed to block 65 when the heating load 20 is satisfied by the electric heating combination 14 without the total electricity demand increasing beyond the peak billing demand threshold 40. In the block, the electric heating combination 14 and / or the electric heating coil 115 generate sufficient thermal energy to satisfy the heating load 20, and the fuel heating combination 16 and / or the heating unit 107 are turned off. Furthermore, the main fluid control valve 39 is set to send the heated fluid from the electric heating combination 14 directly to the heating load 20.

  The processor 30 is programmed to proceed to block 66 if the heating load 20 is not satisfied by the electric heating combination 14 without the total electricity demand increasing beyond the peak billing demand threshold 40. In the block, at least one of the electric heating combination 14 and the electric heating coil 115 generates sufficient heating energy to increase the total electricity demand at the peak billing demand threshold 40 without exceeding the peak billing demand threshold 40. Is set as follows. The main fluid control valve 39 is also set to route the heated fluid from the electric heating combination 14 to the fuel heating combination 16. The fuel heating combination 16 and the heating unit 107 are set so as to generate the remaining heat energy necessary to satisfy the heating load 20.

  According to a second embodiment of the invention, the processor 30 is programmed with a second energy management strategy that monitors the price difference between the electricity supplier A and the power pool, and under cost-effective circumstances. Sell electricity purchased from electricity supplier A. Depending on the jurisdiction, there may be an opportunity to buy and sell electricity with IPP through a power pool or power purchase agreement. Power purchase from IPP is generally performed under a flat-rate contract. In contrast, power purchases from the power pool are typically priced hourly and the purchaser is charged at a valid hourly fee. Power pool prices are extremely volatile and may vary considerably from time to time. The price may be very cheap, for example, at night when there is surplus energy available, but if there is a serious problem with one or more power supplies, the night price will be 10 to 15 times the normal price. May rise twice as fast. This typically lasts 1-2 hours until the price drops to a normal level.

  When a facility 11 contracts with IPP to purchase a fixed amount of power, it is generally not possible to accurately check how much power the facility 11 consumes. Customers who have contracted with IPP and who use power that exceeds or is less than the contracted volume are likely to buy and sell the difference from the power pool at a valid price at the time of interest. Using these factors, the system 10 sells power to the power pool when the power pool price rises significantly sharply and fills the fuel in the heating combination 16 and the heating unit 107 to satisfy the heating load 20. Only depends. In particular, the processor 30 is programmed to monitor the price of the power pool via an external communication network (not shown). Selling electricity to the power pool is more cost effective when the difference between the fuel marginal cost and the power pool price is greater than the electrical marginal cost, and the processor 30 operates the electric heating system 14 and the electric heating. The coil 115 is stopped, the fuel heating system 16 and the heating unit 107 are started, and electricity is purchased from the IPP to the maximum contract amount, and this electricity is sold to the power pool.

  The processor 30 is programmed to ensure that the facility has sufficient power to meet its energy demand, and the purchased electricity is ensured to meet the current non-heating electrical load 12. To alleviate the energy shortage caused by unexpected current electrical load spikes, a standby generator (not shown) can be provided in the system 10.

Air-Conditioning System Referring to FIG. 6 according to another embodiment of the present invention, an air-conditioning system used in the facility 11 is indicated generally by the numeral 103. Many air conditioning systems are located in the roof area of the facility and release outside air into the facility 11 via piping or other. The facility energy management system 10 controls the use of electricity and gas in the air conditioning system 103 so that the electrical marginal cost is less than the fuel marginal cost and the peak billing demand threshold is less than the current non-heating electrical load of the facility 11. When large, heat is provided to the facility 11 by using the electric heating coil 115.

  The air conditioning system 103 includes the heating unit 107 that draws in outside air and arbitrarily heats the outside air before releasing it into the facility 11 through, for example, the piping device 113 installed in the facility 11. The heating unit 107 can be a gas fired heater and includes a fan or the like for the release of outside air into the facility 11. The heating unit 107 generally obtains fuel from a fuel supplier (not shown). The air conditioning system 103 includes the air conditioning unit 109 that cools outside air and discharges the air into the facility 11 through, for example, the piping device 113 of the facility 11. The air conditioning unit 109 may be any suitable air conditioning unit of a suitable size for introducing outside air, cooling it and releasing it into the facility 11. The air conditioning unit 109 is generally operated by electricity supplied from an electric supplier (not shown), and consequently requires a large electric circuit (not shown).

  When the air conditioning unit 109 requires a large electrical circuit, the electrical circuit can be advantageously used to supply electricity for heating the facility 11. An electric heating coil 115 can be activated by the electrical circuit to heat at least some of the outside air, which is then released to the facility, for example, via the piping device 113. The electric heating coil 115 can be attached directly to the piping device 113 and can optionally include a fan to release the heated air into the facility 105, or alternatively, the electric heating coil 115 The fan of the heating unit 107 can be used to release the heated air to the facility 105.

  When heating is required to ensure that air conditioning is not used at the same time, an interlocking device (not shown) can be installed to disconnect or interrupt power from the air conditioning unit 109. For example, the physical interlock device stops power to the air conditioning unit 109 when heating is required, and when cooling is required, the connection is restored and the electrical supply to the electric heating coil 115 is cut off. Such proper physical interlocking devices are known in the prior art and will not be described in detail here.

  As described above with reference to FIGS. 1-5, if the electrical marginal cost is lower than the fuel marginal cost, for example during off-peak hours, an electrical heating coil 115 can be used to supply heat to the facility.

  When the facility 11 is in need of heating, a combination of both the heating unit 107 driven by fuel and the electric heating coil 115 can be used, instead of the heating unit 107 or electric heating. Either of the coils 115 can be used individually depending on which one results in the most cost effective of the facility 11. This is determined by the system processor 30 as described in connection with FIGS. 2 and 3 above. The processor is communicably connected to the air conditioning system to control the operation of the heating unit 107 and the heating coil 115.

  The air conditioning system 103 of an embodiment of the present invention is used in conjunction with an energy management system, for example, the system 10 as described above in connection with FIGS. It is possible to determine and compare costs and the fuel margin costs, and to determine a cost-effective way of supplying heat to the facility 11 based on a number of factors as described above.

  The facility can have an existing conventional air conditioning system. Such conventional air conditioning systems typically consist of a plurality of air conditioning units including the air conditioning unit that uses gas to heat with the heating unit and uses electricity to cool with the air conditioning unit. . This embodiment is particularly useful for remodeling a facility having such an air conditioning system. When performing such a modification, the heating coil 115 is attached to an existing air duct of a facility, and the heating unit and the heating coil are connected to be able to communicate with the processor 30.

  Referring to FIG. 7 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the operation of an air conditioning system having a fuel driven heating unit, an electrically driven air conditioning unit and an electrical heating coil is provided. The operation of the air conditioning system is controlled by the energy management system 10 including a system processor 30 having a storage device encoded with the following steps and instructions. The processor 30 performs the following.

  In step 119, the electrical marginal cost is compared to the fuel marginal cost. These marginal costs are pre-programmed based on historical values, values provided by the supplier or by accessing the values via an external communication network, as outlined below with reference to FIG. I can keep it. If the electricity marginal cost is less than the fuel marginal cost, the method proceeds to step 121, where electrical energy is available to provide power for heating without exceeding the peak billing demand threshold. The peak billing demand threshold is compared to the current non-heating electrical load to determine whether. If the peak billing demand threshold is greater than the non-heating electrical load, the method proceeds to step 123, where the difference between the peak billing demand threshold and the current non-heating electrical load is the demand for the heating load. It is determined whether it is sufficient to supply sufficient energy to the heating coil 115 to satisfy. If the difference is greater than the heating load demand, the method proceeds to step 127 where the processor 30 operates the electric heating coil 115 to provide heat to the facility 11.

  If it is determined in step 119 that the fuel marginal cost is lower than the electrical marginal cost, if the current non-electric load is greater than the peak billing demand threshold in step 121, or the peak billing demand threshold and the current threshold in step 123. If the difference from the non-electric load is insufficient to meet the heating load demand, the method proceeds to step 125. In step 125, the processor 30 starts the gas heating unit 107 to provide heat to the facility 11.

  Optionally, the processor 30 can be programmed to heat the facility 11 with a combination of heat supplied by the heating unit 107 and by the heating coil 107. Such a heat combination is performed when the processor determines that the difference between the peak billing demand threshold and the current non-heating electrical load is insufficient to meet the demand required for the heating load. The In such a case, the processor 30 activates the heating coil 115 to supply the facility with an amount of heat that is less than the difference in facility heating that is less than or equal to the difference between the peak demand threshold and the current non-heating electrical load. The processor 30 then determines the remaining energy needed to meet the heating load demand and activates the heating unit 107 to provide the remaining heat needed.

Example system 10 is installed in a facility with an outdoor swimming pool, two outdoor spa pools, a snowmelt device and a gas heating system used to provide heat for room heating of a building. Can do. The pool and hot spring facility operate throughout the year. The resort heating system, which consists of two 2.9M BTUH boilers, operates with an efficiency of about 70%. Any boiler can provide all the heat necessary to meet the heat load of the facility. The output from the two boilers is directed to individual heating loads using mixing valves and heat exchangers that are electrically controlled for each load.

  Installation of the system 10 requires replacing one of the two boilers with a 300 kW Caloritech electric boiler. Delta Controls Direct Digital Control (DDC) systems are installed to control both existing and new boilers, as well as mixing valves used to manage the heat directed to each of the heating loads be able to. FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of the completed facility.

  The control system monitors the temperature in each of the thermal loops and controls both the boiler and the mixing valve. Selection of the electric or propane boiler as a heat source is accomplished automatically by the DDC control, as programmed above.

  After the system is installed and operating, the cost of electricity increases by less than 20%, but the cost of propane can be expected to be reduced by almost 50% throughout the facility. You can expect monthly net savings of up to $ 6,000.

  While specific embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be appreciated that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

1 is a functional block diagram of an energy management system for a facility, according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. It is a block diagram of the input / output with respect to the processor of the said system. 2 is a graph of an example of daily electrical energy consumption within a predetermined time range at a typical facility. It is a flowchart of the general operation | movement of the said system performed with the said system processor. It is a screen print of an information display from the system operating at the facility. 1 is a schematic drawing of an air blending system for a facility, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a flow chart of the general operation of an air blending system performed by a system processor of an energy management system.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Energy management system 11 Facility 12 Non-heating electric load 14 Electric heating combination 16 Fuel heating combination 18 Fluid 20 Thermal load 22 Electric heating element (electric boiler)
24 Electric heat storage device 26 Fuel heating element (fuel boiler)
28 Fuel storage device 30 System processor 33 Electric heating system sensor 34 Fuel heating system sensor 35 Current electric load sensor 36 Current heat load sensor 37, 38 Actuator,
39 Fluid Control Valve 103 Air Conditioning System 107 Gas Heating Unit 109 Electric Air Conditioning Unit 113 Piping 115 Electric Heating Coil

Claims (41)

A method of managing the energy supplied to a facility, a) monitoring the marginal cost of electricity from an electricity supplier;
b) determining the current non-heating electrical load of the facility and the current heating load of the facility;
c) obtaining fuel to supply energy to satisfy the heating load when the electric marginal cost is greater than the fuel marginal cost, or when the current non-heating electric load is greater than a peak billing demand threshold; d) when the electrical marginal cost is less than the fuel marginal cost and the current non-heating electrical load is less than the peak billing demand threshold, to provide energy to satisfy at least a portion of the current heating load. An energy management method comprising obtaining electricity from the electricity supplier up to a billing demand threshold and obtaining the fuel to supply energy to satisfy a current heating load not met by the electrical energy.   The method of claim 1, further comprising, in (c), generating electricity with the fuel to satisfy at least a portion of the current non-heating electrical load.   The method of claim 1, further comprising, at (c), obtaining electricity from the electrical supplier to satisfy at least a portion of the current non-heating electrical load.   4. A method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the fuel is selected from the group consisting of heating oil, propane, natural gas and butane.   The method according to claim 4, wherein the current heating load includes an indoor heating load and a hot water heating load.   The method of claim 4, wherein the electricity supplies energy to the heating load with an electric boiler and the fuel supplies energy to the heating load with a fuel boiler.   And monitoring the energy price of the power pool, and when the energy price of the power pool exceeds the total cost of electricity and fuel, obtain electricity from the electricity supplier and use the obtained electricity to the power pool. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is for sale.   Further, in (d), stop obtaining electricity for supplying energy that satisfies the at least part of the heating load, and obtain sufficient fuel to supply energy that satisfies all of the current heating load. The method of claim 7, comprising:   9. The method of claim 8, further comprising stopping obtaining electricity that satisfies the current non-heating electrical load and obtaining sufficient fuel to generate electricity that satisfies the current non-heating electrical load.   The method of claim 1, wherein the peak billing demand threshold is assigned a value equal to a demand charge threshold set by the electricity supplier.   The method of claim 1, wherein the peak billing demand threshold is assigned a value equal to a peak billing demand threshold history from a previous billing period.   Furthermore, in (c), when the current non-heating electrical load is greater than a peak billing demand threshold, the peak demand threshold is assigned a new value equal to the current non-heating electrical load. the method of. A method of managing energy supply to a facility,
a) determining the current heating load of the facility;
b) obtaining electricity from an electricity supplier to supply energy to satisfy the heating load;
c) monitoring the energy price from the power pool, and d) when the energy price of the power pool exceeds the total cost of obtaining electricity from the electricity supplier and obtaining fuel from a fuel source,
Stopping electricity supply from the electricity supplier to supply energy to satisfy the heating load;
An energy management method comprising: obtaining fuel from the fuel source to supply energy to satisfy the heating load; and obtaining electricity from the electricity supplier and selling the obtained electricity to the power pool.   In addition, when the power pool price is less than the total cost of obtaining energy from the electricity supplier and obtaining fuel from the fuel source, from the electricity supplier to meet a facility's current non-heating electric load. Obtaining electricity and generating with the fuel when the power pool price is greater than the overall cost of obtaining energy from the electricity supplier and obtaining fuel from the fuel source. 14. The method according to 13. An energy supply management system for a facility,
a) electrical and thermal load sensors to determine the current non-heating load and current heating load of the facility;
b) the sensor and a processor in communication with the electricity cost of the electricity supplier and the fuel cost of the fuel source;
The processor is
When the marginal electricity cost is greater than the marginal cost of fuel, or when the current non-heating electric load is greater than a peak billing demand threshold, fuel is obtained from a fuel source to provide energy to satisfy the heating load And, when the marginal electricity cost is less than the fuel marginal cost and the current non-heating electric load is less than a peak billing demand threshold, Energy programmed to obtain electricity from the electricity supplier to supply energy to meet the heating load not met by the electrical energy and to satisfy the heating load up to a threshold Supply management system. An energy supply management system for a facility,
a) a sensor for determining the current heating load of the facility;
b) a processor in communication with the sensor and in communication with the electricity supplier's electricity cost, fuel source fuel cost and power pool price;
The processor is
Obtaining electricity from the electricity supplier to supply energy to meet the current heating load, and the energy price of the power pool to obtain electricity from the electricity supplier and obtain fuel from the fuel source When the total cost of is exceeded, the electricity supply from the electricity supplier to supply energy to satisfy the heating load is stopped, fuel is obtained from the fuel source to supply energy to satisfy the heating load, An energy supply management system programmed to obtain electricity from the electricity supplier and sell the obtained electricity to the power pool.   17. The energy supply management of claim 15 or 16, further comprising both electric and fuel boilers in communication with the processor, wherein both boilers are operable to generate heat with the resulting electricity and fuel, respectively. system.   The energy supply management system of claim 15 or 16, further comprising a control valve in communication with the processor and operable to control the delivery of heat from the boiler to the facility.   16. The clamed energy supply management system of claim 15, wherein the peak billing demand threshold is assigned a value equal to a demand charge threshold set by the electricity supplier.   16. The clamed energy supply management system of claim 15, wherein the peak billing demand threshold is assigned a value equal to a peak billing demand threshold history from a previous billing period.   21. The energy supply management system of claim 20, wherein when the current electrical load is greater than a peak billing demand threshold, the peak billing demand threshold is assigned a new value equal to the current billing demand.   A computer readable storage comprising encoded steps and instructions for execution on a processor to manage energy supplied to a facility, said steps and instructions comprising the method of claim 1 apparatus.   14. Computer readable storage comprising encoded steps and instructions for execution on a processor to manage energy supplied to a facility, said steps and instructions comprising the method of claim 13 apparatus. A method for managing energy supplied to a facility air conditioning system comprising:
The air blending system includes a fuel-driven heating unit for supplying outside air or heated outside air to the facility, an air conditioning unit driven by an electric circuit to supply the outside air cooled to the facility, and the facility An electric heating coil driven by the electric circuit to supply heated outside air,
The method
a) monitoring the marginal cost of electricity from electricity suppliers;
b) determining the current non-heating electrical load of the facility and the current heating load of the facility;
c) using the heating unit to supply the facility with heated outside air when the electrical marginal cost is greater than the fuel marginal cost or when the current non-heating electrical load is greater than a peak billing demand threshold; And d) when the electrical marginal cost is less than the fuel marginal cost and the current non-heating electrical load is less than the peak billing demand threshold, to satisfy at least a portion of the heating load for heating the facility An energy management method comprising using the electric heating coil to supply heated outdoor air to a facility.   Further, in (d), when the difference between the peak billing demand threshold and the current non-heating electrical load is greater than the heating load required for heating the facility, all of the heating loads for heating the facility are 25. The method of claim 24, comprising using the electric heating coil to provide heated outside air to the facility to fill. further,
e) When the operation of the electric heating coil is required, the power supply to the air conditioning unit is cut off. When the operation of the air conditioning unit is required, the electric supply to the electric heating coil is cut off. 25. The method of claim 24, comprising applying an interlocking device for.   25. The method of claim 24, further comprising, at (c), obtaining electricity from the electrical supplier to satisfy at least a portion of the current non-heating electrical load.   25. The method of claim 24, wherein the fuel is selected from the group consisting of heating oil, propane, natural gas, and butane.   And monitoring the energy price of the power pool, and if the energy price of the power pool exceeds the total cost of electricity and fuel, obtain electricity from the electricity supplier and convert the obtained electricity to the power 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the method is sold to a pool.   25. The method of claim 24, wherein the peak billing demand threshold is assigned a value equal to a demand tariff threshold set by the electricity supplier.   25. The method of claim 24, wherein the peak billing demand threshold is assigned a value equal to a peak billing demand threshold history from a previous billing period.   And c. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein when the non-heating electrical load is greater than the peak demand demand threshold, the peak demand threshold is assigned a new value equal to the current electrical load. A fuel-driven heating unit for drawing outside air and releasing heated outside air into the facility, and an electric circuit driven by electricity provided by an electric supplier to draw the outside air that has been drawn and cooled into the facility. An air-conditioning unit that discharges into the facility, and an electric heating coil that is driven by the electric circuit and discharges heated outside air into the facility,
Electrical and thermal load sensors to determine the current non-heating electrical load and the current heating load of the facility;
A processor in communication with the sensor and the electricity cost of the electricity supplier and the fuel cost of the fuel source;
The processor is
a) Monitor the marginal cost of electricity from electricity suppliers,
b) measure the current non-heating electrical load of the facility and the current heating load of the facility;
c) using the heating unit to supply heated outdoor air to the facility when the electrical marginal cost is greater than the marginal cost of fuel or when the current non-heating electrical load is greater than a peak billing demand threshold; And d) when the electrical marginal cost is less than the fuel marginal cost and the current non-heating electrical load is less than the peak billing demand threshold, to satisfy at least a portion of the heating load for heating the facility An air conditioning system for a facility that is programmed to use the electric heating coil to supply heated outdoor air to the facility.   34. The system of claim 33, further comprising a piping arrangement for distributing the outside air released from the heating unit, the air conditioning unit, and the electric heating coil to the facility.   35. The system of claim 34, wherein the electric heating coil is attached to the piping device. further,
When the operation of the electric heating coil is required, the electric supply to the air conditioning unit is cut off, and when the operation of the air conditioning unit is required, the electric supply to the electric heating coil is cut off. 35. The method of claim 33, comprising applying an interlocking device of:   The processor, in (d), when the difference between the peak demand demand threshold and the current non-heating electrical load is greater than the heating load required for heating the facility, the heating coil reduces all of the heating load. 34. The system of claim 33, programmed to be used to fill.   34. The method of claim 33, wherein the heating unit is suitable for use with a fuel selected from the group consisting of heating oil, propane, natural gas and butane.   34. The method of claim 33, wherein the peak billing demand threshold is assigned a value equal to a demand charge threshold set by the electricity supplier.   34. The method of claim 33, wherein the peak billing demand threshold is assigned a value equal to a peak billing demand threshold history from a previous billing period.   34. The system of claim 33, wherein when the current electrical load is greater than a peak billing demand threshold, the peak billing demand threshold is assigned a new value equal to the current non-heating electrical load.

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